When Two Worlds Meet

Meet: Virgil

Virgil's POV

The Broken Vales are, in my opinion, the most beautiful thing when fall rolls around. Unfortunately, today I am stuck inside Carolyn's dark, hot, humid hut. I wiped sweat off of my brow as I carefully read the potion recipe in front of me. I reached out my right hand to grab the next ingredient and received a sharp WACK to the back of my hand.

I yelped as I retracted my hand, glaring at Carolyn. The sapphire light of the book she was holding illuminated her face in interesting ways, highlighting the deep wrinkles around her eyes, pointing out every little flaw in her skin, making her white hair look blue. She had enchanted her books so that the words glowed in the dark; potions were delicate things, needing constant darkness, and since she was the coven physician, she needed to make sure nothing went wrong.

The light also shone on the poisonous yellow snake that rested lazily around her neck. Cozbi, she called her, was a vicious little python only about three feet long. But she was still venomous, which could be dangerous because she was so irritable. The little snake was asleep right now (I could tell because I could just barely see the clear eyelid reflecting my image back at me), with one brown eye and one glowing yellow eye.

"Don't touch those scales with your bare hands." Carolyn scolded sharply, gesturing to the bag of scales that I had been about to stick my hand in. "They'll burn right through your skin until there's nothing left but a skeleton." Though her body was aging, her mind was still as sharp as a tack. Her voice was still rich and full and usually full of indignation, since I was so incompetent at wielding magic.

She glared at me with her electric blue eyes while I carefully tugged the dragon skin gloves over my pale hands. I signed the word 'Explain' and then proceeded to place the cave dragon's scales one by one into the lava colored potion in front of me.

She gave me an impatient look. "Virgil, these scales are from the talons of a cave dragon. Their favorite form of attack is to grab their prey and use the acid on their talons to predigest their prey. You know this already."

I gave her an impatient look right back. I finished with the scales and covered the potion with its lid. It needed another 24 hours of simmering before it would be ready. 'Doesn't it lose its properties after the scales are removed?' I signed quickly. 'The acid doesn't come from the scales themselves, but the glands under the scales.' (Technically, I didn't sign all that. I basically signed "Lose. Properties. Scales. Removed. Acid. Not. Come. Scales. Glands. Under.". I could sign more exact phrasing, but I was in a bit of a hurry.)

Carolyn pursed her lips like she was irritated but her eyes sparked like a fire, showing that she was amused. "Perceptive. But those scales were fresh. I harvested them only a couple days ago. They are still dangerous." I nodded, understanding. I looked at the timepiece on the wall, then looked at Carolyn imploringly. She looked at the clock too, then back at me with an expression that said "seriously?".

"Virgil, I've still got you for another fifteen minutes." She told me with an eyebrow raise. I made a begging sign with my hands and she sighed, rolling her eyes. "Fine. Maybe I'm getting soft in my old age. You can go. I don't have any use for you right now anyway." She made a dismissible gesture as she turned around.

My eyes lit up as I whipped my pointed black hat off the table and pulled it on while I ran for the door. "Carefully!" Carolyn reminded me as I raced around the various tables stacked high with herbs, jars, and bags. 'But she needn't have worried.' I thought as I grabbed my broom leaning in the corner. 'I'm always careful.'

Author's Note: Hi guys! N.E.R.D. here. I'll answer this question now before I get questions. Yes, Virgil is mute. Anyway, I have no idea what else to put here except that I love you guys! Thanks for reading. Please like and subscribe, yada yada yada, all that jazz. Anyway, take it easy guys, gals, and non-binary....nope. That's weird. That's Thomas's thing. Whatever. Hang loose. Peace out. I'll figure it out eventually.